Redemption, Freedom, and Lots of Justice
by Evildude915
Summary: When a Pair of Paladins Graduate in Lordaeron, Tirion and Adrien have no idea of their destiny...or what that destiny will cost them both...Don't own WoW so don't look at me! contains humour,action, and a lot of other stuff!
1. Chapter 1

Hi again! I realised all my stories had been told from a Horde perspective (FOR THE HORDE!) so i decided to go for some diversity. By the way if you weren't sure, this chaoter's set in Lordearon city.

* * *

Adrien Morter walked out of the cathredral, a sour look on his face.

"Why the poor look, friend?" His friend, Tirion, emerged from the shadow, a lopsided grin on his face.

Adrien pulled a face. "The others have failed to acknowledge my methods as a technique of the silver hand."

Tirion laughed. "It's because we're students. The crusty ones won't accept that with new paladins come new power."

"I'll show them "too strong for one paladin to use alone."" Adrian grumbled.

They walked along the cathedral square, heading for the stables.

"I swear that half the reason why they refuse to accept you is that you're too impatient." Tirion sighed dramatically.

Adrien sighed. "Yeah, You'll be off crushing the Orcish rebels while _I'm_ still trying to prove to them I'm not a budding warlock."

"Nah." Tirion replied. "Uther doesn't trust me to hit a dummy with a judgement. I'm never going to qualify..."

"Better than with me...he still hasn't forgiven me for that incident." The considerably older trainee grumbled.

Tirion laughed. "What? The time when in a desperate effort to prove yourself, you used your technique to battle the lightbringer in a sparring match, lost control" (The Holy Light was not kind on those who misused it's power) " and almost _killed_ him, as well as knocking several _VERY_ prominent paladins into the next room? I don't think his ego ever recovered from that..." The prodigy cocked his head at Adrien. "Maybe the old codger's _scared_ of you so much he doesn't want to fight next to you?"

Adrien harrumphed, not entirely convinced this wasn't true. He'd been in the training course for almost twenty years, roughly eight years behind. Hell, _Tirion_ couldn't even aim an exorcism, let alone last five seconds against the Lightbringer, yet Adrien had forged his own Lightforge armour, tailoring it's runes and mixing it with mage's enchantments to provide the perfect suite of armour for the needs of his technique, had his own Lightcharger, could hit a _moving_ target with an exorcism at almost five hundred yards, had been described as a "Child Prodigy" more times than he could count, yet he, _he_, was _still_ behind Tirion, that little squirt (although he would never describe him as that in public, he was short on friends who didn't look down their noses at him).

As they neared the stables where their Lightchargers stood tethered, a slight frame slipped out from behind a beam and strode out towards them.

"Ava!" Tirion acknowledged with a cheeky grin.

Ava Lightforge was small, for a paladin, relying on light yet relentless attacks that could render even Uther's armour shredded if he went against her for too long. With long, brown hair curled up in a bun so it could fit in her helm, she often took to the habit of wearing her paladin gear outside the cathedrals and barracks, as her womanly attractions often bought entirely the wrong sort of attention to herself.

"Tirion, you cheeky man, if you try and flirt with me again I'll do more than just slap you this time!" Ava said, sticking her tongue out at him. She nodded at Adrien respectfully as he did the same. When they were both in training, they had been attacked by rogue Orcs, who had killed their master. Had it not been for Adrien's quick thinking, neither of them would've got out of those woods alive. Also, had it not been for Ava's skill at healing, Adrien would've died of a serious axe wound to the rib.

"Ah, but _where_ will you slap me?" Tirion said, winking.

Adrien snorted. "What do'ya think those steel boots are for? Kicking dandelions' heads off?" the three laughed together, before Adrien noticed something. "Wait a bit. Aren't you meant to be training with Lord Uther now?"

Ava's face hardened. "Yes." She said. "Lord Uther's battle in Hearthglen against the undead army has left a lot of Paladins dead, a lot of spaces. He wanted me to hand you both these." With a wide smile, she handed the pair before her a pair of badges. "Welcome to the order."

"Wow." Adrien mumbled, slightly numbed by the random change of events. He was a Paladin. A _real_ Paladin. He'd finally been accepted. Now he could make a _real_ difference. "What now?"

"He's moving with us three to meet with Prince Arthas' forces outside Stratholme."

"When do we move?" Tirion asked, glowing with pride at his new badge, apparently oblivious to the fact that the badges were both covered in blood. Evidently the undead had proved a problem even for Uther's forces.

Ava smiled. "Right now."

"Ah. No celebratory drinking, then? Hey, this has got blood on it..."

"I think, Tirion my friend, that if the undead are that dangerous, we might be faced with more fighting and less drinking." Adrien said, rubbing half-heartedly at his own badge.


	2. Chapter 2: The Cleansing

For those of you who're up to date with your wow history, you know what's gunna happen. For those of you who aren't, you'll enjoy this. I had difficulties telling this story from a different perspective, as for a fairly majour event, both Warcraft lll and WoW go fairly over the topic.

* * *

As the Four Paladins rode through the sizable force Arthas had amassed, a ripple passed visibly through the ranks. Many had heard of the Lightbringer's exploits during the Second war, and some of them had fought alongside him themselves. When they drew up to the hill where Arthas and Jaina Proudmoore (a mage, very prominent among the Kirin'Tor, he'd heard) were standing, Arthas fixed the riders with a sneer. Adrien shuddered. Royalty never learned.

"Glad you could make it, Uther." The prince said sarcastically.

"Watch your tone with me, _boy._" Uther snapped. They had ridden non-stop for two days, and Uther patently had run out of patience. "You may be heir to the throne, but I'm still your superior as a Paladin."

"As if I could forget." Arthas smiled slightly as they headed for a table, strewn with maps. Adrien and his friends gratefully dismounted, stretching themselves for the first time in days. Tirion, slipping from his saddle fully, didn't even bother to get up.

"Oh mighty Paladin, we Orcs cower in fear of your almighty soreness." Adrien mocked him, putting on a slightly broken Orcish accent.

"Mock while you can, foul Warlock." Tirion pulled a face as he rolled over, clutching his arse.

"Ew." Ava wrinkled her nose. "Could you at least be standing while you do that? You look gross."

Tirion, from his better vantage point, seemed to notice something. "Hey, should those crates have the Anderhol sign? Isn't that where the plagued grain came from?"

"What?!" Arthas rounded on him instantly, following his point. "Oh no...We're too late...These people are all infected with the plague. They may look fine now, but soon they will be nothing but mindless undead."

"What?!" Uther said, looking shocked.

"That doesn't sound good." Adrien muttered, opening a pack and pulling out a part of his Lightforge Armour.

Arthas turned to Uther. "This entire city must be purged." He said, a dark look on his face.

Adrien, Tirion and Ava froze. Then, as one, their hands gravitated towards the hilts of their weapons.

Uther noticed the movement, and discreetly shook his head. "No! There must be some other way!"

"Damn it Uther! As your future king, I order you to purge this city!"

Shadows drew across the Lightbringer's face. "You are not my king yet, _boy_, nor would I obey that order if you were!"

"Then I must consider this an act of treason." Arthas stated coldly.

"Treason?! Have you lost your mind, Arthas?!"

"Have I?" Arthas smiled cruelly. "Lord Uther, by my right of succession, and as Sovereign heir to the Kingdom of Lordaeron, I hereby relieve you of your command, and suspend your knights from service. Now, all of you with the will to save this land, come with me. The rest of you," Arthas spat at Uther's feet. "Get out of my sight."

There was complete silence. All of Arthas' ranks held their breath, as Uther agonized over what was right and his loyalty to his people. Eventually, he nodded at the three knights, who shifted reluctantly back into their saddles and spurred their chargers on.

Uther watched as the others rode into the distance, then climbed onto his own mount.

"You've just crossed a terrible threshold, boy." He said quietly. Then he followed the others.

****

Adrien slid off his charger as they waited for the Lightbringer, undoing his badge that hung loosely off his shoulder, and throwing it into the dirt at the signpost.

"Is that it?" Tirion asked. "Shortest. Career. Ever."

"What does it look like it is? The Order has been disbanded, even though _I_ personally thought we served the Light, not an insane prince. Most of our best fighters are dead, slain in Hearthglen. Stratholme will soon burn. If Terenas and, hell, the _Lightbringer himself_ can't keep a leash on that nut-job, then what's the point?!"

"The point, Adrien," Ava said, bending over to pick up the fallen badge. "Is that we must not lose faith. The light will guide us to the right path, and we shall follow it without question." She dusted it a little, before handing it back to Adrien. "I think you may be needing this soon." She smiled.

Adrien stared at it for a while, then took it and stashed it in one of his pockets. "If our light is so omnipotent, then why did our great harbinger of light just go spineless to a spoilt brat? If we cannot uphold our own values, what are we? If we obey the orders of our king, and not our own moral compass, then we might as well not bother calling ourselves Paladins. So, I ask again. What's the point?!"

Ava was silent. As a child, she'd been raised believing that what she was doing was completely right, and justified by her faith in the light. Adrien had questioned all that she believed in, and he had a point. Light, he _was right._

"_The point, _Adrien, is that the Menethil family have been mighty Paladins for over a millennia. Above all others, _they_ were chosen to rule, _they_ were the wisest, and so _they_ decide what to do with our order." Uther pulled his charger beside the younger Paladins, a worried look on his face.

Tirion laughed nervously. "Uhm, I'm not sure that's precisely what he meant..." He stammered.

"No." Adrien snapped. "That's _exactly_ what I meant." He turned to Uther. "You say all these words, but your face says otherwise. So tell me, "Wise one", what happened when the Menethil family turn away from the light? When they become corrupt, evil, as vile as the foes we slay in the kingdom's name? Will we scrape and bow to them, and play along with it? Or will we _do the right thing?"_

"I...we will have to decide that when the time comes." Uther looked crestfallen.

Adrien snorted, pulled out his badge again, hurled it into a bush, and then marched back along the road to Quel'thalas.

Uther turned to Ava. "We need to stay united. His methods, though dangerous at present, will be needed in the future, I get the feeling."

Ava nodded, and gestured Tirion to follow her. The pair followed Adrien's wake.

Uther turned, a small smile on his face. Tirion and Ava had been getting very, very close recently, and though they thought he didn't know, but he knew more than he let on. And he'd be damned if he'd let Ava fight a battle in her current state.

* * *

I would quite like to point out a few things. One: Tirion and Ava's relationship is supposedly extremly prohibited in the Order of the Silver hand. As such, i don't want to make it too obvious. If i go overboard and make them publicly kiss or something please let me know :) Two: Adrien's character could go in both directions, so if he A) becomes an immoral barstard or B) becomes a mopy idiot, also let me know. Three: Uther isn't going to live that long in my story, so I'm not gunna say anything about him :)


	3. Chapter 3: The Aftermath

Sorry about the wait, but now next 3 chapters are up, and now i'm gunna write the next batch in a bit.

* * *

Stratholme burned. As Uther and the others rode through the charred streets, survivors and soldiers drafted by King Terenas to save who they could piled the dead and the scourged on every street corner to be burned. All eyed the Paladins suspiciously. After all, it was a Paladin who authorized the culling, and Uther had done nothing.

"Adrien, Tirion, Ava. Do what you can." Uther ordered wearily.

The three split up. Ava headed for the crowds of wounded. Tirion went in search of any survivors who may be trapped within the cathedral. Adrien ran to one of the piles to talk to a soldier bearing a captain's badge.

"Name?" Adrien asked.

"Captain Morgraine, sir." The captain replied.

Adrien blinked. "Darion?"

"That's right, sir."

"I didn't know you were in the King's Guard."

"Drafted, sir. Seeing as it's a time of war and all."

"Well, whaddaya know. How's your father?"

"He's well, thank you sir."

Adrien sighed. Darion was obviously stone-walling him, and to be honest, he didn't blame him. The order would have to work hard to shake its now apparent reputation.

"Sir, would you like to do the honours?"

"Rather have me do it than put the task on someone else." Adrien sighed, concentrated, focused on the image of this pile burning in holy fire...Heard Ava scream behind him...

...span around and fired the charged holy energy as the Ghoul sprang at Ava's throat while she knelt to inspect him.

"Whoa!" The woman sprang back just in time as the Ghoul was obliterated. "Watch it!" she snapped.

"Sorry. Was going to burn the pile with that."

Ava harrumphed as she went back to her work.

"Captain!" A footman ran up to Darion. "The corpses have started rising! We need to evacuate the city, _now!_"

"Right. Tell the rest of the squads as fast as you can." As the soldier sprinted off in the direction of Elder lane, he turned to Adrien. "There's no way we can evacuate everybody in time." He said grimly.

"I'll get you time." Adrien said. "Ava!" the Paladin looked up. "We need to evacuate the survivors. Where are the others?"

"Uther's in Festival lane. I think Tirion's in Crusader's square."

"Okay. Do what you can to help the soldiers. I'll go find everyone."

Adrien whistled. His Charger ran towards him, its armour looking majestic, and...

...ran him down.

"OW! Goddamn bloody demon of a horse." Grumbling, he slid onto his saddle and rode through the city.

"Tell me, Jaina! Where has Arthas taken the fleet?" Uther actually grabbed her by the shoulders this time and shook her.

"Northrend. He's gone north to Northrend." She said quietly, staring at her feet.

Uther sighed. He'd never understood what she saw in that boy. He might have been a good pupil, but he'd had a lousy personality.

Adrien rode up, a runed helm and gloves on. "Uther! We need to evacuate the city before it's overrun by undead! Get anyone you find outside the city as fast as possible!" he said as he slapped on his boots.

"But then what are you going to-"

But Adrien was already gone, hurling towards the crusaders square.

Tirion dodged a frenzied claw as he backed out of the cathedral, pursued by the ghouls who had, presumably, eaten the monks, clerics and Paladins that lived there. Either that or they _were t_hem.

"No." He mumbled. "This is all wrong. The Light shouldn't fall to the Scourge. You're not meant to _DIE!_" He screamed out the last word.

"_Tirion!"_

A ghoul growled, leaping at the Paladins throat unchallenged.

A golden figure barrelled into the ghoul, sending him flying back. Drawing his Greatsword, Adrien swung. The blade glowed red as the runes danced, flashing vividly across the blade as it sliced a ghoul in half. Back-kicking Tirion out of his way, the Paladin swung his sword in wild arcs, decapitating the ghouls in their mindless advance.

"They're all dead, they're all dead, this wasn't how it's meant to be..." he heard Tirion moan.

"Tirion! Snap out of it! Where are the Priests?" he turned around.

"There..." Tirion raised a shaking finger over his shoulder.

Adrien spun as a huge ghoul bore him to the ground, pressing the flat of his sword against the Undead's face as it tried to chew on his face. Oddly, he recognised it.

"Hello, Landgren." He said. "How's undeath been treating you?"

The ex-high abbot screamed, drooling and gnashing his teeth in anger.

Flicking his free hand out, Adrien ejected the hiltless knife he'd built into his gauntlet. He brought it round and into the remains of the ghoul's ear, spurting blood everywhere. The sheer force of the strike sent the ghoul keeling off to the side, as Adrien swung back up, raised his sword high in the air, then brought it crashing down to its head (causing a event that only really happens in horror films.)

"Right." Adrien wiped his cheek and started counting. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...yup, that's all of 'em."

"Ugh...you're covered in blood..."

"I get the feeling that very little of its mine, so I wouldn't worry about it." Adrien grinned as he sheathed his sword.

"Sir!" A captain ran up to the pair.

"Ah, captain! How's the evacuation going?"

"Everyone's out, sir, but we need to hurry! The Undead have congregated and are marching towards the Main Gate!"

"Oooooooh-kaaaaaaay." Adrien said, thinking. If the city was empty, he could use his technique to safely hold off the Undead while they escaped.

"Tirion, captain, take my charger and use her to leave. I'll stay behind to hold off the Undead while the Evacuees get clear of the city!" he said, heading for King's Square.

The captain shrugged and climbed on, but Tirion hesitated.

"But-"

"_GO, _Tirion! Ava needs you!"

He dithered briefly again, but then nodded and climbed on the charger too.

As the horse rode past him, Adrien took off his right Gauntlet, Revealing several white and black bands. He would never allow anyone but himself and Uther to see this, but seeing as no-one else was in the city, no one could get hurt.

Hesitating only slightly, he took off the straps, and felt the Light flow through him.

* * *

Yup yup, thats how its written! ^.^ you should review me to say how much you agree!


	4. Chapter 4: The Injured and the Chapel

Hello! Sory about the wait! I had trouble thinking up ideas for this one! Sorry if I go off on a tangent! XD

* * *

"I don't care what he'd want us to do." Ava said, stubbornly sitting herself down on the road. "I'm not leaving until we know what happened to him."

"Ava..." Tirion looked to Uther for support.

"Okay, lass." Uther said after a while. "You and Tirion wait here for Adrien. I'll escort the survivors to Caer Darrow." _After all,_ he thought_, If he was strong enough to almost kill me five years ago, I don't want to know what he could do at his level..._

Tirion and Ava watched as the fairly large caravan set out south. Instead of sitting straight down onto the road, Tirion chose instead to sit on the moat by the entrance.

"Why didn't you stay behind?"

He looked 'round. Ava's piercing eyes were looking right at his.

"Why didn't you stay behind?" she asked again.

"He told me to."

"And since when did you obey an order made by a non-officer, let alone an order to run away?" she persisted.

"It's not like I had any choice. Hell, he was about to draw his sword at me..." he reasoned. He then realized that he didn't believe a word. In reality, he'd been terrified by the prospect of going up against an army of ghouls. "Look. I admit it. I was scared. I ran away. I deserted my friend in the face of battle, I left him, probably to die. And I tried to make you run from here too, as far away as possible, so you couldn't be hurt." Tirion snorted. "Some Paladin I am."

"Don't say that." Ava was up and at his side almost immediately. "Never, _ever_ say that! I _know_ how hard you fought to pass your test! But you've never fought a battle before. You're inexperienced. Even Adrien and I have fought before in a proper, life and death situation. But you...you've never fought outside sparring. So of course you panicked."

"But-" he looked up miserably.

"But you thought confidence came easy?" she finished. "Trust me, it doesn't." she smiled, slinging her arm over Tirion's shoulder.

Smiling back, Tirion kissed her lightly.

**One Hour Later**

"By the Light..." Tirion muttered, nudging Ava.

"What?" she followed his trembling finger. "Oh, no..."

Adrien stumbled across the bridge. His sword's lace was tied to his wrist, obviously to force him to hold it. His face was covered in blood. Sword slashes scattered his chest, the largest one spanning diagonally across his front. His leg dragged along behind him in a gruesome angle. He staggered halfway across the bridge, then collapsed.

The two Paladins rushed to his side.

"Adrien! _Adrien!"_

"It's no use." Ava muttered. "He's going into a coma..."

Tirion froze. Comas were deadly. Even the light couldn't properly save someone once they had slipped into one. A mighty Paladin could go into a coma and wake up a bumbling idiot.

"Can you stop it?"

"Of course I can. But it'll use up all my energy, so he might die from his wounds anyway."

"mmmmph..." Adrien muttered, barely lucid.

"Don't speak. Rest yourself. You'll need all the strength you have." Ava said.

"No...time...Light's...Hope...Chapel...Tombs...great...power...heal..." he groaned before falling unconscious.

"What?" Tirion looked puzzled.

"I'm not sure." Ava muttered. Looking up, she unloosed his sword lace and stashed it into the sheath. "I heard a rumour that a truly powerful item was buried under Light's Hope, making it a beacon of the Light."

"And he thinks it'll help?" Tirion's expression turned from puzzlement to disbelief.

"I don't know." Ava finished packing Adrien's equipment away and hauled him up onto her charger.

Highlord Tyrannus Maxwell was old. He'd been fighting for Lordearon for longer than the Lightbringer. Although he's been retired and maintaining Light's hope chapel for the past few years, he still remembers much, and his withered look and white hair may deceive anyone to thinking he'd lost his touch. Possibly, that's why he maintains the old man persona.

Seeing a pair of lightchargers approach the chapel, the revered one put his broom in a corner, and strode out to meet them. "Greetings" He said with a small wry smile on his face. What brings you to this chapel?"

The two Paladins ignored him, instead jumping off their steeds to wrestle with something on the back of her charger.

"Ah. I see that Uther and his band weren't the only ones who survived at Stratholme." He sighed, waving them in. "I'm afraid that I wouldn't be able to help much at healing him any better than you, Ava." He frowned at her. Unless something else brought you here..."

"What's underneath the chapel?" Tirion cut him off.

Maxwell turned on him "Oh, I see." He snapped. "Come to defile one of the oldest surviving chapels so it can heal you're friend, eh? Give me one good reason why I should let you see it!"

Then he looked into the bloodied face of Adrien. Maxwell's eyes widened. "By the Light..." he muttered, his withered accent disappearing. "The redeemer, just as the prophet said." The old man glared at Ava and Tirion. "You two! I will let what lies beneath heal Adrien, but in return you must tend to him and this chapel until he is recovered. Then, you will travel to southshore, and join Jaina Proudmore's expedition to Kalimdor."

"What?" Tirion snapped. "Helping Adrien is all well and good, but this is our homeland! We will defend Lordaeron, or die trying."

Maxwell snorted walking to the door of the chapel. "Poor young fool." He said sadly as he watched the seemingly still breeze. "This land is lost to the Scourge. With the fall of Anderhol, Hearthglen and Stratholme, ends the supremacy of the eastern kingdoms. As this breeze blows, it takes grains of the plague with it, turning the land around us until it is devoid of all life." He turned to the couple, tears in his eyes. "The Light has spoken to me, and made my path clear. I will guide you until you leave, then I will offer sanctuary to any who would fight the scourge. It is the will of the Light that you travel to Southshore once young Adrien has recovered. Now come, down here. He walked across the chapel to a steel door. With a black iron key, he opened it and led Tirion and Ava down a narrow stairway.

"The creature that lives beneath this chapel is an embodiment of the light. As far as I know, he can heal any wounds made by normal weapons, and most wounds made by a runeblade."

"...Light..." Ava and Tirion breathed at once, as what had looked like a small cellar with a coffin in the middle turned into a massive room the likes of which neither of them had seen, or ever will see. Giant pillars with etchings of grand crusades towered up into a cloudy rooftop, where thousands, _millions_ of stars were twinkling down. A vast patterned carpet lead up to a huge gold altar, above which a massive chandelier hung in the air. Behind the alter, a sea of glass reached up to the stars, telling the tale of an ancient people, who had, upon learning of a terrible evil, sacrificed everything that made up their entire being, anger, sadness, their very physical body, so they would live forever, so that when the time was right, they would rally the strongest races across the stars to make a final stand against that evil. The window's imaging, they realised, was being filled up as they watched. A purple ship falling burning from the stars...A undead scourge shaking the foundations of a world, a sea of demons swarming over a crystal fortress, slaughtering each and every person hidden within the structure...two figures, standing before a being of the light...

Suddenly, a serene and peaceful voice descended upon them...

_I know why you have come..._

Adrien woke. He wandered as a ghost, seeing and feeling all, yet separate from his body. He struggled to know why he'd left his body, but it was so difficult...so hard to remember...anything...

Ava and Tirion struggled down the spiral staircase with Adrien in silence, Maxwell leading the way with the only torch.

Finally, they reached the golden room where the thing that called itself a "Naaru" resided. In a few seconds, the coffin room dissolved into the grand cathedral complex.

_...bring him to the altar..._ the voice came again, unfolding from the serene background sounds then dissolving into the sea of music once again.

In a shocked awed silence, the two hefted their way warily to the altar, laying him across the rectangular gold slab as comfortably as possible. Tirion looked away. He looked too much like a corpse at one of the few funerals he'd been to.

Suddenly, a star descended - this one a golden yellow that shone like a beacon. Streams of gold snaked fluidly across the roughly circular form. The flow increased in speed, as did the intensity of the light. Finally, the star compressed into a form that resembled one of the runes that were depicted on the pillars. It hung there in the air, emitting light around it and passing an invisible focus over the prone figure of Adrien.

_A coma is induced when the human body suffers from too much damage, be it mental or physical, for the soul to safely inhabit its body...the soul leaves the body, wandering the world as a ghost until it finds it's body, or something finds it...while the soul is separated from its body, it cannot be damaged...however, the longer the space of time the soul is separated, the more humanity it will lose...emotion, memory, if left for too long, the body will become a being known by the Qael'Doreii across the sea as a whisp. It will lose all vestige of what it was, and it will be doomed to wander the world forever..._

"No...That cannot happen!" Tirion cried. "Adrien is possibly the strongest Paladin there ever was! He believed in the Light so much..." he trembled. "But it seems the Light didn't believe in him..."

_...DO NOT THINK THE LIGHT DOES NOT TAKE CARE OF IT'S OWN, YOUNG ONE!... _The Naaru's voice boomed across the room, making even Maxwell take a step back, and the Naaru almost trebled in size. ..._ADRIEN WILL SERVE THE LIGHT TO HIS FULL POTENTIAL! THE SACRIFICE HE MADE ON THIS DAY, TO RISK HIS VERY SOUL FOR THOSE HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW, IS THE BEGINNING OF HIS, AND YOUR, LEGACY! I HAVE WAITED HERE FOR OVER A MILLENIA FOR THIS MOMENT! SUCH BLASPHEMY FROM TH0SE WHO WILL BE TRUE CHAMPIONS WILL _NOT_ BE TOLERATED!_...

"But then why?..." Ava asked quietly "Why have him risk so much just for a cause which, according to you, is doomed to fail?"

_..._

_...because no cause is truly lost, so long as there are those that still believe in it..._

_...Yes, Lordaeron will burn...but the undead scourge are merely the avatars of the true threat to this world..._

_...Come, children...see what I see..._

The chapel dissolved into an image of a world. Cold, snowy mountains sparkled like crystals, and pine trees smothered the ground.

_...this...was...Argus. A planet on the far reaches of the universe, it developed quickly. One of the most sentient beings was the Eredar .These being were highly technologically advanced, and their culture shone through the cosmos..._

The scene transformed. The mountains had broken up, and now shards of rock were strewn over the skyscape. The surface was an endless sea of charred rock. The forests, and seemingly all life, had disappeared.

_...Now, it is a shell of its former glory. Vast legions of demons, intent on destroying the cosmos, corrupted the majority of the Eredar, turning them into beings of unimaginable darkness..._

The image turned into what looked like a giant platform. Smaller Eredar fled from giant red ones, who sent bolts of darkness flying at them. A giant ship lifted up into the air, bearing the smaller survivors to the stars.

The image once again dissolved, this time returning to the chapel.

_...It is these beings that now come to this planet..._

"Then we shall fight them!" Tirion cried. "They will come, and we will fight them to the death! If we have nowhere to run, we should not run!"

_...what do you think the scourge is for? The scourge was created to pave the way, and destroy any that would resist them. I promise you, the legion _will_ be stopped. But not here. If you are to fight the evil, you cannot hope to win unless you travel west to Kalimdor..._

_...thus it was written..._

_...thus it shall be..._

Adrien wandered the frozen lands of Northrend. He knew he should have found something here, but now, now he couldn't remember anything.

He walked up a shuddering ice tower, up to a clearing. Height. Yes, he decided. The height was needed. Looking down the dark landscape, he saw thousands of dark beings marching. Scourge. That meant something to him, once. A lot of things did. But now, now it was hard to remember, so hard...

A dark, hollow laugh echoed around the frozen top. A set of frozen stairs lead up to a lump of shadowy ice which resembled a crude throne. The throne, Adrien's fading spirit realized, was not empty. A form of smoke, resembling the form of an Orc, reclined in its vastness. He wore nothing but a spiked helm, barely noticeable in the dark that was cast around it. Cold, lifeless blue eyes bore into the Paladin's fading soul.

"Ha ha ha!" the form laughed again. "And here I was, searching for your soul, when all this time it had come to me all along. My name...is the Lich King. You now serve..._me!_

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Reviews are a writers way of knowing his readers love him! if you do not review, I will cry ^.^


	5. Chapter 5: Bound By Shadow, Key Of Light

Sorry if I made this a bit cliche, but hey, this is Warcraft, and y'know how the Lich King likes his cliches

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"My name...Is the Lich King. And you now serve..._me!_"

At his words coils of shadow sprang from the throne, entwining Adrien and holding him in the air. The paladin could feel the light seeping from his body, being pushed out by the darkness.

_...I have found you, young Adrien..._

"What? Who are you?" Adrien asked.

"I told you before...I am Ner'Zhul, the Lich King."

_He cannot hear me...I am a messenger of the Light. But now you must ask yourself...who are _you?...

"I am...I...am..."

_...You are losing grip of your soul. The Lich King is drawing our presence out of your body. If he succeeds, all that will be left is a dark force destined to slay his former allies..._

_...You're degrading memories are making his task easier. The less you remember about yourself, the faster your soul will be corrupted._

"Then that is it. Whatever I was will be nothing. I'm doomed to an eternity serving whatever that thing is."

_...You can still fight. But in order to break his hold on you, you must will to remember your past..._

_Concentrate. Think back to your life, your friends, family, everything that made you who you were. Remember! You were a champion of the Light! Think of what you went through, what you sacrificed! You shed your blood at the Orc camp, you risked your very soul at Stratholme!_

"That...wasn't...me..." Adrien felt the darkness rise up across his torso, changing him. He found it harder to hear the...thing. A dark voice struck up within his head.

**...so it was you that was resisting my turning. Now, tell me, my newfound champion, what did this...naaru... talk to you about? Being a holy Paladin? HAH! You risked everything to save Ava from being raped by the warlord in the camp, you shed your blood time and time again to save her and Tirion, and how did they repay you? They left you to ROT in Stratholme. They left you to DIE! That is what awaits every single Paladin in the end. Betrayal. Desertion. Lies. A bloody death, slain by folks you may have protected. In the end, the Light must succumb to the darkness.**

"No...Ava...Tirion...why didn't you help...why don't you...help...?" The coils of shadow were at his neck now, reaching across his face...

_They DID help you. They befriended you, when the other instructers feared you, and as a result the trainees feared you. Only they were true enough to see past the power, to find the devoted friend that was within! You are in this situation now because you stood against the undead legion to give your friends time to escape..._

_...they stayed. When you were in trouble, they took your mortal body to me, got me to help you. The ultimate choice is yours...Light...or Dark. But know this... if you choose the Dark, EVERYTHING you have done will be in vain._

Adrien remembered. It all came flooding back. When he had been avoided, sitting alone in the mess hall, to look up into Tirion's grinning face. When he had been scolded for no reason, Ava defending him. When he had obtained his restraining bands, Tirion putting his energy into it to reinforce its hold on his powers. In the Orc camp, Ava's relief when he burst into the Warchief's chambers and gutted him on top of her.

_...it will be in vain..._

_...it will be in vain..._

_...it will be in vain..._

_I will NEVER let that happen!_

"Ner'Zhul..."

**Yes?** The echo in his voice.

"Your visit, while brief, is now unwelcomed. You will now take your leave."

**What is this?**

"Although your efforts were not unnoticed, I have _more than enough power to remove you! Get out!_" Adrien's eyes glowed red, sheer holy energy dissolving the shadowy coils as they radiated from his body.

**This is impossible. You don't even remember who you are, let alone how to fight me!**The Lich King's voice became smaller.

"Oh really? I am Adrien Morter, Knight of the Silver Hand, former apprentice to Lord Uther himself. I have slain Orcs, Undead, and Liches. I am the bearer of the Light bands, to restrain my energy to make me a safe ally in battle. I have two dear friends, who I have and always will risk my life to protect. Now I say again..._GET...OUT!" _His body exploded with energy, vaporizing what was left of the coils and pushing back the darkness.

"Bah!" The Lich King retreated to his throne, allowing the shadow-tainted ice to wrap itself around his form. "I had intended to turn you into one of the first of my champions, but I see that you have chosen another fate. No matter, the scourge shall take you all! The return of the Legion comes! Now begone!"

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YO! i suck at writing this sorta stuff, i know :( but still, review review, i might be wrong!


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